“This web page was produced as an assignment for an undergraduate course at Davidson College.” About the author: John Ready Revolutionary metagenomic analysis of environmental samples reveals 16,530 unknown bacterial and archaeal species that could hold powerful insights into the future of drug synthesis and gene editing. What if I told you that just beneath…
Small Steps Taken Towards Correcting History
Western interpretation of Indigenous history proven wrong through genomics. Indigenous Peoples in the Great Plains and northern Rockies had contact with horses earlier than expected. Figure 1. Explanation of the Lakota relationship with the horse in the Lakota language with the closest English translation possible. Tanka Omniya (Robert Milo Yellow Hair), personal communication 2022.1 Disclaimer:…
The Evolutionary Fight Against Cancer
Sloths, armadillos, and anteaters have notably low intrinsic cancer risks compared to other mammals. One theory as to why lies in the evolutionary history of their genome. Disclaimer: This web page was produced as an assignment for an undergraduate course at Davidson College. If all living cells across species had the same probability of developing…
Want to go out for a drink? How you answer might be affected by your genes.
Researchers combined genome-wide association studies in hopes of gaining insight into how much certain gene variations can affect someone’s decision to be the life of the party or stay sober. Their meta-analysis identified the ancestry-specific genetic architecture of alcohol consumption in Japanese cohorts. Disclaimer: “This web page was produced as an assignment for an undergraduate…
No Guts, No Glory: Native Bacteria Have the Advantage When Establishing the Gut Microbiome
Microbiome competition experiments in mice have demonstrated that gut bacteria have the home court advantage when transplanted into the same species. This web page was produced as an assignment for an undergraduate course at Davidson College. The commensal microbiome is a profoundly important ecosystem of microorganisms that live in and on humans and other animals.…
The Hagfish and Their Secrets
Hagfish are a species with one of the longest lineages on Earth, now with genome sequencing they may help us better understand the evolution of vertebrates. About Me Home This web page was produced as an assignment for an undergraduate course at Davidson College. So, what is a hagfish anyway? It doesn’t sound very appetizing.…
Butterfly Resurrection: How Xerces Blue’s Genomic Legacy Is Shaping the Future of Insect Conservation
News and Views by: Ella Wuichet (elwuichet@davidson.edu)Primary Article: De-Dios et al. 2023 Disclaimer: This web page was produced as an assignment for an undergraduate course at Davidson College Picture of the top and bottom of a Xerces Blue Butterfly (Glaucopsyche xerces). On the left, the butterfly is positioned so that the top side is showing.…
Evolution in Genetic Technology: A New Future For Medicine
Written By: Porter Alston | poalston@davidson.edu This web page was produced as an assignment for an undergraduate course at Davidson College. Comparing the performance of traditional short-read DNA sequencing with long-read sequencing reveals significant differences in the abilities of these technologies to accurately sequence complex, medically relevant gene variants. The results show that long-reads produce…
How climate change is affecting white-beaked dolphin distribution
Genetic data provides insight into how climate change is affecting white-beaked dolphin distribution, discovering genetically distinct populations across the North Atlantic and presenting new knowledge for conservation management. This web page was produced as an assignment for an undergraduate course at Davidson College. Read more about the course here. Human activity and climate change is…
Nobody Knows About the Nose
How the study of the human nasal microbiome can help reveal aspects of human variation and respiratory conditions. This web page was produced as an assignment for an undergraduate course at Davidson College. Since the turn of the 21st century, technology has been evolving exponentially, from self-driving cars to generative A.I. to I argue that…
